


Peridot Alone

by CaffeinatedPokedex



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alien Planet, Alone, Gen, POV Second Person, scared
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 17:20:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3700700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaffeinatedPokedex/pseuds/CaffeinatedPokedex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by a humorous text post on tumblr, it took a turn for sadness as Peridot finds herself alone, scared, and on an alien planet. Written in second person to catch the feel of the show where you only get to know and see through the perspective of the main character. Background events and other character's points of view are a mystery unless we've been otherwise informed.</p>
<p>Technically not plot divergent yet, but it will be non-canon within a few episodes, I'm sure.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peridot Alone

Your physical form never dissipates, which you are thankful for. The crunch of your pod crashing through Earth’s ground jolted you pretty badly, but feeling your gem gingerly, you’re relieved no cracks formed. Waving the door open, you hesitantly step out into the world you’ve ever only known as a textbook example of why gems aren’t sent in large armies anymore.

Trepidation stirs in your gem as you look around at the empty field you’ve crashed in. It seems processed. You’ve studied that most organic life on Earth does not grow in even lines like this tall plant seems to. That would seem to indicate you are near civilization. Trepidation roils more like dread as you realize you’re alone.

Completely alone.

On an alien world where various infestations revere strange patterned circles with arms and tears.

You rush back to your pod and frantically attempt to access the communications hub, but it’s as you feared. Only static. No gem on any world is getting your message. 

You quickly retype the sequence. Again. Again. Again.

Sinking back in the pod’s chair, you clutch your head in your fingers and try to think through this rationally. “I’m stuck, perhaps forever on this infested world with no ally. Even Jasper isn’t responding. I’m stuck here, but I can still finish my mission. I’m stuck and lost and- Rose Quartz and her followers knew the kindergarten’s location. I’m lost, but I don’t need the coordinates or access to the grid to find it…”

Your talking to yourself degrades more mumbling of your predicament. You are not trained for hands on missions, and you’ve never entered enemy territory alone before.

Maybe you’re panicking a little…

You’re construct feels to the need to swallow nervously as it bites at your lip. Good thing you don’t actually need to breathe as you find swallowing hard with how big the lump in your throat is. No, you can’t be alone. You desperately tap at the control panel, your taps slowing as you admit to yourself that this is in vain. 

You’ll have to go back out into the strange world and find out the information you need. You have no choice but to engage the enemy, but you’ll start with the weak lifeforms first. That seems like the most logical choice.

Peering back out of your pod, you see no humans or stevens nearby, but you should probably try to blend in. You don’t fancy taking on the appearance of a steven, so you guess you’ll wait to come across a human and see if you can blend in with that species.

Carefully stepping out and wandering towards where you see less of this tall plant you believe you remember was termed ‘corn’. You find a long black path with yellow lines just beyond it and reason that this must function like one of your magnetic roads back on the Homeworld. It probably leads to frequented establishments. 

Looking to the distance, you see branching roads. Not knowing how big or small, or even if they are sensical about road design, you decide to trail your fingers on the right edge of the road as you start walking, taking every turn offered. That way if humans create mazes out of their roads, you are for the most point guaranteed to not get lost. You of course count the sums of the turns made against the direction you are now facing (relative to the direction you started).

This is probably too much effort for such a simple people’s construction. You don’t care, it makes you feel a little more in control of your situation.

It’s quite some time before you reach a sign that welcomes you to a town you don’t care about. Ideally, it won’t exist too much longer anyways. You see a building come into view with large glass walls. It is obviously some sort of vendor, as you can pick out shelves of clearly organized items. You also assume it is a fueling station of some variety from the large pillars that have nozzles connected to them. 

You spot your first humans when you get closer. They aren’t at all like what you expected, though you suppose 5000 year old transcripts are bound to be a little outdated, even with a species that progresses as slow as this one.

Shapeshifting so your body replicates the closest being’s clothing in style, you form a helmet very unlike Jasper’s, and your feet grow into wheeled contraptions. Your elbows and knees grow padding that you think would protect their fragile bodies from abrasions. Pointless fabric rolls at your thighs, and the pockets available at your hips are ridiculous. Even if you needed pockets you wouldn’t be able to use them with how shallow they are. 

Cautiously rolling forwards, you almost fall to your immediate doom. Your legs are wobbly and your body uncertain. You’ve controlled a vast assortment of vehicles before, many with wheels, but you’ve never been the wheels yourself and had to rely on kinesthetic ability to control said wheels. 

Cringing as you attract attention at your clumsiness, you almost retreat immediately. This was a horrible plan. You look like a fool. The humans will see right through you! Fingers spiralling around your head anxiously before covering your visor in embarrassment, you roll to a stop and realize you don’t know how to turn around in wheels without losing your balance.

“Hey, you, are you alright?” A human calls as you slip up slightly before catching your balance once again.

Panicking, you don’t even try to lie,” I crashed! Over… there.” You point the way you came. “Far away. I’m a little lost, but I’m just tired and…” Your head reels for an appropriate human condition.

“Dehydrated?” Another human suggests. You nod without understanding.

The group of three humans roll over to you easily, and you carefully observe how their bodies function to allow such fluid movement. Fluid is really not your department, but if you want to blend in, you guess you’ll have to make it so. You notice how they displace every motion with other parts of their bodies, and how very circular motions let them come to a stop around you and swivel as they do so. 

The first human places a hand on your shoulder, you think supportively. You don’t know how to feel about it. “Why don’t get inside, out of the sun a mo?”

You can’t fathom how getting out of the sun is helpful, but you agree with the human because you don’t know if you have a choice or not. These humans don’t seem particularly aggressive, but you shouldn’t risk it. If they attack, you’ll have to dispose of them, and that will draw attention.

You’re pulled along with them hand in hand, and you consciously keep your fingers close to your hand when you realize they all have connected fingers. It’s easy to roll along as they pull you, and you are happy you don’t have to worry about that particular hurdle right away. 

When brought to what appears to be the entrance of the establishment, you stare at at the door with utmost confusion. There is no button for its activation, and obviously it’s not automated. A human presses the door inwards easily, and you feel a little silly for not considering that option for a primitive species.

“Oh, come on, what have I told you about rollerblading in the store?”

“You love us, John, you’re not going to tell your manager.”

You don’t know what they’re talking about, but you are interested in how friendly the patrons are being with vender.

“I do not have any earth currency,” you inform them as one zips off and retrieves a red beverage.

“Ah, it’s on me.”

“No it’s not,” you disagree, pointing to the object in her hand. She is clearly holding it. That does not qualify as being on her in the slightest.

“You’re funny,” she says with an elbow lightly to your side.

These humans are really confusing you. They are distracting you.

You came here to find the location of Rose Quartz. The owner of a fine establishment should probably be a high enough ranking officer to know her location if Earth is at all like the Homeworld.

Swiping the beverage down to ground and clomping forwards, you proclaim,” I need to stay on mission!”

You take a shaky stride forward, and find that if you bend slightly, skating is easier. Slamming your fingers to the counter, you aggressively ask,” Where is Rose Quartz located?!” It’s far outside your comfort zone to bring all attention to you in a hostile situation, but you are alone on this bellicose, alien world. Concern needles at you; you bet your perpetual frown is giving away how uncomfortable you are and undermining your authority.

When “John” does not immediately respond, her gaze firmly locked on your detached fingers, you drum your digits and repeat,” Where is Rose Quartz located?”

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“The Crystal Gems! Rose Quartz? Don’t play dumb.”

She motions for the other humans to leave, and you suppose you don’t really care what they do, so you let them leave. “Sorry, but um-”

Sighing in frustration, you interrupt,” I don’t want to hear your excuses. Gems. Now!”

“Just let me search the address quick,” she requests, grabbing out her communication device. You wave her permission and relax your stance a bit.

After some frantic tapping at the screen, she holds her device to you and quickly fumbles out,” 1348 N Crescent St! It’s about a fifteen minute ride from here.” A map showing a highlighted building labled “Crystalline Adventures” is presented. _Crystalline Adventures_ is a little obvious, isn’t it? Maybe you didn’t need to ask for help after all.

Projecting your standard screen, you tap in the information and correlate it to other information you’ve gathered on this planet. It seems the road systems can take you right to it. You realize her wide eyed gaze one your projection and single stylus digit, and roll your eyes.

“What form of transportation does this station fuel?”

“Cars? A-and trucks, and stuff?”

Narrowing your eyes as you straighten your body and lift your chin to show how much control over her you have, you ask,” Do you have one?”

“Yes,” she answers mutedly.

“Relinquish the controls to me,” you demand. 

“No way!”

With a flat, unamused expression, you circle your fingers around her neck and press lightly until she gasps,” Okay, okay!” Slamming some metal onto the counter, she says,” Blue bug outside. Please! Just go!”

Picking up the keys, you cooly remark,” Your generous assistance will be recorded.” Turning around is awkward and you almost slip up, but you think you mostly save face as you roll away quickly. She quickly starts calling someone, but you can’t afford the attention to care about what she is doing now.

None of the vehicles outside even closely resemble an insect. Your shoulders slump in exasperation. The human can see you. “Blue bug” was probably a great piece of information if you knew anything about earth vessels, but now you are standing here looking like an idiot.

Examining the keys, you realize there’s a button with an open lock on it and correctly assume the car will illuminate itself to you when you press it. As you enter the vehicle, you eagerly shapeshift more sensible feet. It only takes you a bit to locate the ignition, and then figure out how to use the vehicle.

You only cause horrible screeching and sputtering noises a few times. Being so knowledgeable about so many types of transportation is useful. Being a pencil pushing nerd who is well educated is fantastic, and you’ll be sure to tell Jasper next time-

You pull over to the side of the road as you find yourself unable to concentrate.

You’ll never get a chance to tell Jasper you’re not a waste of space. She never said that outright, of course, but she always meant it. You were a _weak_ gem. Tears well up in your eyes. Despite how she may have thought of you, you thought of her as one of your closest- only friends. 

You only knew each other as sisters in arms from vastly different departments until your assignment to earth got frustrating, but you didn’t have any friends before her. You spent so much time together on the voyage to earth- a rare opportunity with how convenient warp technology is.

Composing yourself, you remind yourself that you’re almost done with the mission, and then you can figure out a way home. Maybe Jasper was rescued and already returned to the Homeworld. You don’t know if the thought of her abandoning you, or the grim acknowledgement that she probably is not home, is worse.

According to your calculations, you only have eight minutes before locating the gems. After you do that, you can figure out how to detain them or otherwise subdue them long enough to fix the warp pads and reinitiate the kindergarten.

A lot of other drivers honk at you, and you want to yell at them it’s not your fault you are the only one capable of driving regardless what color the lights are above you. Seeing your target, you pull over cautiously. It’s an unassuming building, but you know better than to be fooled.

Whatever the Crystal Gems are hiding from the Homeworld, whatever they’ve been planning to protect Earth with, is hiding in there.

You gaze into the window until you realize there are quite a few people in there- and they’re looking at you oddly. It’s so dark, you can’t tell what they’re up to- but why are humans about anyways? They must like humans so much they let them _roam_ unattended in their base. How stupid.

From the brief look inside, you know you won’t blend in with what you’re shifted as right now. Lapis must have only known this side of the human disease, she would fit right in the crowd you saw in there. Taking a cue from her book, your shorts ripple into a long, pleated skirt as your shirt gains lace at the neckline. There, now you match the occupants of the base.

Seeing the same style door as the one at the fueling station, you push on the handle. It doesn’t budge. You push harder, afraid that you’ll break the door off if you push any harder. You frantically push again, and jostle the handle. No, you don’t want to make a fool of yourself in front of the crystal gems!

You’re quite worked up by the time a human in a fine suit comes up behind you and pulls the door open, saying,” After you, miss. Ladies first.” You ponder what she could mean by “ladies first”. Is a lady some kind of class rank?

You don’t bother to acknowledge the speaker or the remark as you enter the base, and then stop as a wave of panic washes over you. Gems as far as the eye can see in varying sizes and shapes and colors! There isn’t any containment field you can detect aside from a simple plane of glass.

How?! How are they keeping them obediently in place without a containment field?

The gems are raising an army right under the Homeworld’s noses. 

“I never considered that _they_ would make more kindergartens,” you murmur is muted fear. The human that held the door open for you steps up beside you and chuckles.

“Kindergartens? Of course we would make more.” She looks at you like you’re not all there. “One in most schools.”

“School?! What is that?” Your fingers wrap around her shoulders. You want to shake this human, but you know that won’t get you answers.

Now you’ve really confused her, and she backs up a little like you’re scaring her. She seems especially spooked when your fingers stay with her and grow farther from your body. “You know, the places where we teach children so they’re ready for the next step in life…?”

“An educated army? I’m no match for this. I’m in way over my head!” You can’t possibly stand up to Rose Quartz and an army. From Jasper’s tales, it took her only 100 soldiers to turn the tide in the War of Peace thousands of years ago. There’s got to be easily 100 gems here, and this stranger just implied hundreds of more kindergartens.

You drop to the floor unable to process this all. Your fingers fall with individual clinks, sounding just as helpless as you suddenly feel. “I’m doomed, I’m doomed and alone,” you whimper. “She has a whole army and I’m alone!” You have no way to contact another gem, and you have no way of beating Rose’s army.

The door is swung open and two humans with official uniforms of authority call out,” Police! Hands in the air, hands in the air where we can see them. Reported auto theft with intent to rob _Crystalline Adventures_ confirmed.”

You don’t respond as they continue a rehearsed spheal, instead just sitting and basking in your failure. You fit some description and they are yelling at you to stand up slowly with your hands in the air. You would fight back, but what if all these gems are trained to neutralize conflict? 

You don’t have the motivation to comply and stand, so the police heft you up roughly and slam your face into a counter. 

Manacles are fitted around your arms, which seems a little silly, but you don’t question it.

They’re reading you rights, which seems excessive when you consider your fate is probably to be made into an artifact.

You’re thrown into a cell made of only cement and iron, which seems naive if you didn’t know an army waited for you to think about escaping.

You’re given a free call which seems cruel when the only person you want to call you have already tried to contact so many times you lost count.

**Author's Note:**

> **edit// added a picture to the story. http://caffeinatedpokedex.tumblr.com/post/115789853104/a-little-art-for-my-one-shot-i-wrote-peridot**
> 
> Not sure if I plan to continue this, but I feel like this is a good place to end it if it is just a one-shot. All of this was inspired by this post: http://caffeinatedpokedex.tumblr.com/post/114774307039/caninequeen-but-for-real-can-we-all-imagine
> 
> As you could probably tell, I had a lot of fun playing with her having floating fingers. Huzzah for Bizarre Alien Anatomy! Also, like Jasper, Peridot has no understanding of the human concept of gender, so that's why all humans are "She" to her.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
